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Instagram removes one of its features because not many people used it

By Cosmin Vasile

Published: Jan 20, 2020, 11:24 PM

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Instagram removes one of its features because not many people used it

The world of social media apps is ever-changing, but have a few players that are constantly at the top of the customers' preferences. Apps like Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Snapchat continue to remain popular, but new entries like Vine, Yahoo Messenger, and TikTok briefly took the world by storm.

Some survived but at a much smaller level, while others completely disappeared. TikTok is the app of the moment and that doesn't mean that it takes users from other social media apps, but it also forces developers to make changes to their apps to remain relevant.

Instagram is making changes to its app all the time. Most of the time it adds new features and improvements, but there are times when the company decides that removing a feature would be more beneficial for the general public.

This is one of those rare cases when Instagram is removing one of the features that are rather new: the IGTV button. Instagram told TechCrunch that few people used the feature, which was launched back in June 2018, so it decided to remove it.

As we’ve continued to work on making it easier for people to create and discover IGTV content, we’ve learned that most people are finding IGTV content through previews in Feed, the IGTV channel in Explore, creators’ profiles and the standalone app. Very few are clicking into the IGTV icon in the top right corner of the home screen in the Instagram app. We always aim to keep Instagram as simple as possible, so we’re removing this icon based on these learnings and feedback from our community.

For Instagram users, this means that they will no longer need to use the dedicated IGTV app to watch longer videos since the experience will be offered directly in the main Instagram app.

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Cosmin, a tech journalist with a career spanning over a decade, brings a wealth of experience to PhoneArena. His expertise lies in brands like Samsung and Nokia, and he has a keen interest in innovative technologies. After a brief stint in PR, Cosmin returned to tech journalism in 2016, committed to delivering clear and objective news. When he's not writing or appearing as a guest on TV and radio shows, Cosmin enjoys playing RPGs, watching Netflix, and nurturing his passion for history and travel.

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